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Re: explain OALD.....

Just out of curiosity, have you taken baby in to her doctor to rule out reflux? Perhaps baby is sensitive to something in your diet (I can't recall if you've done an elimination diet or not)?

Yes - I have tried the diet over the past 3 weeks and have seen no results from this. The doctor has ruled out reflux. We were concerned with this since my youngest son had a bad case of relux (an many other issues). I had to use Nutramigen for him.

By offering formula, you might even be upsetting her tummy. Formula is pretty hard for them to digest.

I understand that it can be hard to digest, and believe me, I would rather give BM than formula, especially since we live and Organic/natural lifestyle. But, I also have to put her needs first. She has not had the crying fits after eating since we have been supplementing the formula at night for her. She also seems to eat better and is back to her happy, alert, playful self. And her poo is back to normal, so I have got to think the formula is helping her and providing her with something my body can not currently do.

This makes me believe that I am not producing enough for her. I try to get her to feed at night, but she sucks for a bit and then refuses the breast, so I try and make sure when we supplement her at night, that I pump for 5 - 10 minutes on each side as my husband feeds her.
Hopefully I will be able to get my supply up, especially at night and stop supplementing with formula.

Perhaps when baby was crying so much the other night with her Daddy is because she wanted you?

This could be the case, but I had spent the entire day with her screaming and crying - mostly after feeding. I also had just fed her before I went to bed for much needed sleep. And my husband has that "special touch" with her. Where he can get her to calm down and stop crying at times when I can not.

Have you checked out the Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp?
I have not, where can I locate this? More knowledge is best

Re: explain OALD.....

Mama Jenn,
I believe the LLL catalog sells it. There's a book and a DVD. I highly recommend the DVD over the book though -- it's quicker and you can see his methods in action. Check your local library too - they may even have it!

Honestly, I don't think you've got a supply issue based on what you've told us. Try to trust more in your body and it's ability to nourish your baby. Breastmilk seems to be the first thing we suspect when there's an issue but in most cases it is not the problem. You mentioned that you have been doing an elimination diet. What exactly have you eliminated? I'm just wondering if there's more than 1 thing that can be causing this.

Is there any rhyme or reason to her crying fits, other than they seem to appear directly after nursing? Do they just seem to appear out of the blue at any other times? You mentioned that she was fine the other day, all day and even that night but then the next night she was crying. What did the doctor do to rule out reflux?

Your supply is usually at it's lowest in the evening and most babies are very fussy in the evening. Many will pull on and off the breast in the evening time or stay glued to the breast non-stop. This is very normal behavior. The best thing you can do is simply encourage your baby to nurse and if she's screaming and crying, try swaddling her or walking/pacing the floor. But like I mentioned, the techniques in The Happiest Baby on the Block are good.

Re: Please explain OALD.....

GagesMom -- Block feeding is when you nurse from one breast only during a block of time, usually in 2 to 4 hour increments. For instance, from 12-3, anytime baby wants to nurse you'd nurse only from your left breast. From 3-6, you'd only nurse from your right breast. HTH!

Re: Please explain OALD.....

Originally Posted by LLLCarol

GagesMom -- Block feeding is when you nurse from one breast only during a block of time, usually in 2 to 4 hour increments. For instance, from 12-3, anytime baby wants to nurse you'd nurse only from your left breast. From 3-6, you'd only nurse from your right breast. HTH!

Re: Please explain OALD.....

I use Gripe water because it is all natural and organic and that is how my family prefers to live our lives due to health issues with the ordinary food and household cleaners and detergents. Mylocon drops have sugar and food coloring in them, so we choose NOT to use them.

As far as nipple confusion - NO..... she was having this issue weeks before we even gave her a bottle, so it can not be that.

Things I have eliminated from my diet.......Dairy,Decaf Coffee, Spices, Wheat, Chocolate, Most fruit - I only eat Banana's and Granny smith Apples now....

She is 11 weeks young now and her poo changed to normal about 4 weeks ago. She still cries after I feed her, esp. at night (she only cries if we do not supplement her). I do pump if we supplement her..... to make sure I still am having some sort of stimulation to the breast.

I can not believe that I have hung in there as long as I have, but I really want to make it to the 3 month mark, so I am guessing we will just have a miserable baby until I switch her over to formula, because I can not have a child crying all the time at my breast! It has made things quite miserable and made bf a very miserable experience. Not to mention that I believe it may be effecting my milk supply! What would you do if every time you offered your child a breast, she began crying? And basically cried the entire feeding?????

Thrush - went to the doctor several weeks ago and she said Thrush is gone, so not a Thrush issue! Probiotics took care of that......